x64 Recovery Environment Helper

[mrjrt]

Hey. Long-time reader, first time poster (of consequence, anyway). I've been using these boards for years as a reference, and I figured I should probably give something back.

I've finally gotten around to building a customised Win7 install and I'm gone with AIO, which means the setup environment runs in 32-bit mode. The tool I used offered to include the 64-bit recovery tools, which I figured was a good idea, though it seems debatable given some of the stuff I've read on the subject.

Anyway, That's all fine, but as I've got chunks automated with an AutoUnattend.xml, it skips right past the link to launch the recovery tools from the 64-bit boot.wim, then fails as my 64-bit doesn't have an install.wim for it to scan for install images. So what I made was a simple setup replacement stub that parses the AutoUnattend settings and launches the recovery tools as the normal setup would. There's probably a way of doing this properly, but I'm dammed if I could find it.

I've included the source and as getting Mingw tools for both 64 and 32 bit sorts is such a PITA, also both the compiled exes for 64 and 32 bit (though I can;t think why you'd need the 32-bit one).

Hopefully someone else will find them useful.

Instructions from the source file:

SetupProxy.c
v0.1 - Initial version.

Copyright © 2014 Jamie Thompson
This programme is a simple bootstrapper for the Windows 7 recovery tools.

It emulates the stock setup executable when launching the recovery tools,
which is useful when you've got the stripped-down x64 boot.wim in place
for recovery purposes on your Windows 7 AIO install media along with an
unattended file that means you can't launch it without having to bring up
a command prompt with shift-F10.

To use it, mount the WIM and rename the existing setup file in the root
(i.e. setup.exe => setupstock.exe, then copy the appropriate (probably
64-bit) version of the executable to the same location and rename it to
remove the number. i.e. Setup64.exe => setup.exe. Commit your changes and
off you go.

Next up...another tool using the XML parsing code to fix up registry paths early in setup (i.e. renaming program files) using settings from custom AutoUnattend...

SetupProxy.7z

Edited January 23, 2014 by mrjrt

[jaclaz]

Nice approach , thank for sharing, though I still wonder what the use of a 64 bit recovery environment is for .

jaclaz

[JFX]

@jaclaz

With an x86 recovery environment you can't do some things on an x64 windows

- access all hardware due to lack of drivers available
- servicing with dism
- sfc checking/repairing
- using offline system restore
- remove a troublesome hotfix
- reinstall windows without 3rd party apps

[jaclaz]

@jaclaz

With an x86 recovery environment you can't do some things on an x64 windows

- access all hardware due to lack of drivers available

- servicing with dism

- sfc checking/repairing

- using offline system restore

- remove a troublesome hotfix

- reinstall windows without 3rd party apps

I see. Thanks , though the last point should be "reachable" in an "AIO" without the need for this special loader (I am not sure to understand the reference to the CTRL+F10 pressing ).

Personally, and as a side note, I would not pursue anymore the AIO path, given the wide possibilities to install from different "untouched" (or "touched" ) .iso's from USB devices and current "common" or at least "available" sizes of such devices.

jaclaz